Boosting Creativity with Digital Substrates

Creativity.  To all of us, it means something different.  To me, it’s a million things at once.  As a marketing director, creativity doesn’t lie in one area, but in more than I can count.  Design, conceptual art, web site listings and design, printed pieces, articles, even this blog, all require creativity.  In the printing industry, having a creative and cutting edge idea helps to keep printers ahead of the game and in the spotlight.  Even the realm of graphic design is saturated with stale ideas and boring standards that aren’t packing serious attitude and notability.   How’s a printer to handle all of this?

In the world of digital print at least, it’s a return to the basics – getting creative with your canvas.

Why stick with a simple white when you can do so much more?  Turning up the dial on your substrates incidentally turns up the volume and effect of your designs, giving the overall piece more personality and value.

Some press capabilities do serve as limitations, but with materials that are coated, uncoated, textured, and more, limitation aren’t really limitations, rather a starting point for finding the perfect material.  This wide range of materials gives printers the ability to offer customers more choices.  Add in materials in all different gauges and sheet sizes, and the possibilities are endless.

Digital presses help printers to offer customers a wider range of services than traditional offset printing, whether the customer wants a small personalized piece or needs a large direct mail job.  Digital printers have amazing color capabilities; especially when paired with the right substrates.  When the press and the media work together, the printed piece will be better overall.

One question many printers have is how to check and make sure that the substrate they want to use is compatible with their device.  The best way to do this is to gain a thorough knowledge of the technology the press uses, discuss potential matches with a substrate specialist, and then test the material.   While this may seem like a lengthy process, it truly helps printers to get the best quality of material to make a project perfect.

Choosing the perfect substrate to give new life and creativity to an application truly depends on what the application is.  For wedding invitations, bright pops of colored paper or pearlescent PVC may be just the ticket.  Labeling for an eco-friendly company might mean printable wood veneer is the recyclable option the company is looking for.  Do you have a dry toner press and need a synthetic paper replacement that’s made to withstand the highest heat?  Platinum is yours.

Start expanding your business into new markets with new applications that have a WOW factor.

Testing materials is only the start to understanding the capabilities of your press and creating new and eye catching pieces.  Why settle for a material that’s not specifically made for your press, whether Indigo or dry toner?  Finding a partner that creates the perfect material for your press gives you shorter lead times and helps streamline your inventory.

Where to start?

For more information on creative materials and how to test your machine’s capabilities, email us or call 636.349.6401.  Our substrate specialists will help you understand the capabilities of your machine and what the best materials are to give you a printed masterpiece with a creative edge.